Africa - Archaeology News

Analysis of fossil tooth brings to light earliest humans from southern Africa

July 14, 2022

Fossil tooth analysis by Southern Cross University geochemist Dr. Renaud Joannes-Boyau has played a central role in an international collaboration that has properly identified the earliest humans. Dr Renaud Joannes-Boyau with a Homo Naledi tooth [Credit: Southern Cross University] The new study, published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, demonstrates that…

Africa, Anthropology, Early Humans, Fossils, Geochemistry, Palaeobiology, South Africa

Researchers discover crocodile species that likely preyed on human ancestors

June 15, 2022

In a new study, researchers led by the University of Iowa announced the discovery of two new species of crocodiles that roamed east Africa between 18 million and 15 million years ago before mysteriously disappearing. The species, called giant dwarf crocodiles, are related to dwarf crocodiles currently found in central and west Africa. Researchers led…

Africa, Fossils, Kenya, Palaeontology

Prehistoric ‘Swiss Army knife’ indicates early humans communicated

June 9, 2022

Archaeologists have found that a tool, dubbed the “stone Swiss Army knife” of prehistory, was made to look the same in enormous numbers across great distances and multiple biomes in southern Africa. This indicates early humans were sharing information and communicating with one another. Quartz tools from the Sibudu Cave site in South Africa [Credit:…

Africa, Archaeology, Australia, Early Humans, South Africa

How the black rat colonized Europe in the Roman and Medieval periods

May 3, 2022

New ancient DNA analysis has shed light on how the black rat, blamed for spreading Black Death, dispersed across Europe — revealing that the rodent colonised the continent on two occasions in the Roman and Medieval periods. The Black Rat (Rattus rattus) is one of the most common of the world’s 56 Rattus species, and…

Africa, Americas, Archaeology, Asia, Australasia, Europe, Fossils, Genetics

Black Rhino extinction risk sharply increased by killing of specific female rhinos

April 13, 2022

New research from The University of Manchester, in collaboration with Kenyan conservationists and scientists, has examined data from the Critically Endangered Kenyan black rhino populations which suggest that individuals really matter when assessing the impact of poaching on species’ survival chances. Rhinos in Kenya [Credit: Nick Harvey Sky] The research published today in journal, Proceedings…

Africa, Biodiversity, Endangered Species, Kenya, Natural Heritage, Wildlife

Climatic variability might not drive evolutionary change as much as previously thought

April 11, 2022

A new study combining climate data with fossil records of large mammals that lived across Africa during the last 4 million years casts doubt on a long-standing hypothesis that repeated shifts in climate acted as major drivers of evolutionary change in mammals, including human ancestors. During the dry season, evaporating water leaves behind trona crystals,…

Africa, Climate Change, Early Humans, Early Mammals, Earth Science, Fossils, Palaeoclimate, Palaeontology

Ancient DNA reveals surprises about how early Africans lived, travelled and interacted

February 23, 2022

A new analysis of human remains that were buried in African archaeological sites has produced the earliest DNA from the continent, telling a fascinating tale of how early humans lived, travelled and even found their significant others. Together with artifacts from the past, ancient DNA can fill in details about our ancient ancestors [Credit: Nina R/WikiCommons]…

Africa, Anthropology, Early Humans, Genetics, Malawi, Tanzania, Zambia

African Heritage Sites threatened by coastal flooding and erosion as sea-level rise accelerates

February 10, 2022

Heritage of Outstanding and Universal Value located along the African coast is at risk from climate change. A global team of climate risk and heritage experts, where Dr Nicholas Simpson from the University of Cape Town’s (UCT) African Climate and Development Initiative (ACDI) was one of the leading contributors, have provided the first comprehensive assessment…

Africa, Algeria, Archaeology, Cameroon, Climate Change, Egypt, Heritage, Libya, Mauritania, Mozambique, Namibia

Ostrich eggshell beads reveal 50,000-year-old social network across Africa

December 20, 2021

Humans are social creatures, but little is known about when, how, and why different populations connected in the past. Answering these questions is crucial for interpreting the biological and cultural diversity that we see in human populations today. DNA is a powerful tool for studying genetic interactions between populations, but it can’t address any cultural…

Africa, Archaeology, Climate Change, Early Humans, South Africa, Tanzania

Mysterious footprints in Tanzania made by early humans, not bears

December 1, 2021

The oldest unequivocal evidence of upright walking in the human lineage are footprints discovered at Laetoli, Tanzania in 1978, by paleontologist Mary Leakey and her team. The bipedal trackways date to 3.7 million years ago. Another set of mysterious footprints was partially excavated at nearby Site A in 1976 but dismissed as possibly being made…

Africa, Anthropology, Early Humans, Fossils, Tanzania